Following their return from Mustique last Friday, Duchess Kate has thrown herself back into royal duties this week - two private and a day of public engagements.
On Tuesday Kate visited the Bethlem and Maudsley Hospital School in South London. This visit was on behalf of one of her patronages Place2Be. Kate has attended many events in connection to Place2Be including: Place2Be Scheme in April 2013, Place2Be Forum in October 2013, Place2Be Scheme in July 2014 and the Place2Be School Awards in November 2014.
Dr John Ivens, the head teacher of the school and an educational psychologist, praised Kate and said:
"The Duchess is very good at listening to what people are saying to her, especially children, and responding in a thoughtful way."
During her visit the Duchess also reportedly joined in with the children and took part in a ukulele lesson where she learnt some of the chords.
The Duchess also recorded a message addressing the issue of mental health issues in support of Children's Mental Health Week. You can watch this video on
Place2Be's website.
photo via Place2Be
Kensington Palace released this statement on behalf of the Duchess of Cambridge...
"As royal patron of Place2Be the Duchess of Cambridge is a committed champion of issues related to children's mental health and emotional wellbeing.
'Her Royal Highness has seen that issues such as addiction, poverty, abuse, neglect, loss and illness of family members, can have a long-lasting and traumatic impact if left unsupported.
The Duchess of Cambridge is especially concerned with early-intervention mental health support for young people, to tackle these issues at the earliest possible stage, so that children have the brightest possible futures, as they deserve."
The Duchess wore a new dress for the visit. It was the
Jaeger Silk Tile Print Shirt Dress which is still available at John Lewis for £250.
The Duchess chose the blue colour way, however it is also available in paprika.
Throughout her second pregnancy, the Duchess has started to wear more shirt dresses, which are no doubt very comfortable and allow plenty of space for a growing bump. I thought the dress suited the Duchess very much, however some have questioned if it is too old for her, what do you think?
The Duchess teamed her dress with her
Kiki McDonough Classic Green Amethyst and Diamond Oval Drop Earrings, which retail for £2,600, and were a Christmas present from Prince William in 2011.
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On Wednesday morning, the Duchess continued with her engagements and attended a reception to discuss the Royal Foundation's support for hospices which offer palliative care for young children. This links to one of Kate's patronages - East Anglia Children's Hospital. This was one of the Duchess's first patronages and she visited them publicly for the first time back in March 2012, and it was also the first time Kate gave a speech. The Duchess last visited the charity in November when she launched an appeal for the charity at Norfolk Showground.
Unfortunately because this visit was a private event, there were no pictures, however if pictures emerge at a later date then I will update this post!
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On Thursday, yesterday, the Duchess brought her busy week to a close when she visited the Headquarters of Ben Ainslie Racing and the 1851 Trust, which she became patron of last October.
photo via The Daily Mail
On her arrival the Duchess was greeted by well-wishers and presented with beautiful posies.
photo via The Daily Mail
The Duchess was introduced to local artists, James Waterfield and My Dog Sighs, who are overseeing the mural, which shows the skyline from Portsmouth to Ryde and even includes the Isle of Wright and the Solent.
The Duchess, who has been seen joining in painting activities previously, painted part of a docking rib boat onto the mural. Two of these types of boats will be used in the 2017 America's Cup attempt.
photo via The Daily Mail
The Duchess's contribution to the mural....
photo via The Daily Mail
The Duchess was then accompanied by Ben Ainslie as she was introduced to community leaders, teachers and students from City College in Southampton during her tour of Spinnaker Tower.
photo via The Daily Mail
They then went to the top of the 70m Spinnaker Tower, where they could see the docks where the America's Cup boats are being built.
photo via The Daily Mail
The Duchess of Cambridge seemed to have a great time as she turned the handle on a sailing winch simulator at the Spinnaker Tower.
photo via The Daily Mail
Sir Ben Ainslie gave the Duchess a personalised Henri Lloyd t-shirt for Prince George which was emblazoned with his team's logo.
photo via The Daily Mail
Slightly off topic, but an interesting little fact for everyone, the Duchess travelled with a selection of sweets today including Mint Imperials and Werther's Originals.
photo via The Daily Mail
Shortly after the visit, the Palace released a statement from the Duchess which said...
"I feel very fortunate to have enjoyed sailing from a young age and I know it is a great way of providing young people with the opportunity to develop skills and confidence. It is a hugely exciting time for sailing as the British challenger bids to bring the America’s Cup back to Britain. I am looking forward to being part of this journey and I hope that through The 1851 Trust we can engage and inspire a new generation into sailing along the way."
Now, onto what the Duchess wore today. The Duchess previously wore a nautical themed dress of white and navy back in June and again today the Duchess chose similar colours.
Some of you may recognise the coat, it was worn by Princess Eugenie last Christmas.
Duchess kept with the nautical theme by wearing a boat print dress by
Somerset by Alice Temperley - the designer's diffusion line. The dress is £99 at John Lewis and although sold out at the minute, it is due to come back in stock soon.
The Duchess chose to wear her diamond and sapphire earrings and her Cartier watch.
I thought the Duchess looked amazing today, clearly the holiday has done her some good and she has had time to relax before her schedule heats up again. I liked the nautical theme that the Duchess chose, what did you think?
photo via The Daily Mail
